Every year in America, high-school students who want to go to college take a national examination called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT in a shortened way. Their score is an important factor in determining which colleges will admit them or whether any will be admitted at all. The Scholastic Aptitude Test measures one’s mathematical ability and use of the English language. Traditionally, the English portion（部分）involved grammatical questions and paragraphs that test reading comprehension.
But the SAT folks have added a single question, to be answered in an essay, hand-written on the spot. That’s an interesting way to test writing ability, put content aside, have you ever seen young people’s handwriting lately? Or anyone’s for that matter, in this age of computer keyboards? Students write numbers and sign their names on bank checks. They scribble class notes in what can generously be described as the written word. And they hand-write, or more often print, a word or two of identification on luggage and lunch bags. Otherwise penmanship (书法) — once taught so morally and easefully by second-grade teachers, has gone the way of the dodo bird which has died out.
Yet today’s kids are asked to write, thoughtfully and legibly (字迹清楚地), for several minutes on this SAT Test. Good luck to the text scorers who must work out difficultly the scrawl of young people who’ve been typing on computers since the age of three! Teachers insist that good handwriting can not only help one’s score on the SAT, but also, later on in life, impress potential employers and earn bigger tax refunds (退税) because the tax inspectors can actually read the computations (计算结果). And don’t forget, we all have to turn to handwriting from time to time, as computers go down when power goes out. The subjects to be tested in the SAT include ______.
| A．math, English, reading and handwriting |
| B．math, grammar, reading and writing |
| C．math, foreign language and writing |
| D．math, English and handwriting |
The author writes this passage to introduce the fact that ______.
| A．writing seems to be very important in the SAT |
| B．those who will go to colleges have to take the SAT |
| C．students should practice handwriting more often |
| D．in the computer age kids know how to write legibly |
What does the underlined word “scribble” probably mean?
| A．Write quickly and roughly. | B．Take notes difficultly. |
| C．Print penmanship carefully. | D．Describe written word generously. |
According to the passage good handwriting can ______.
| A．help students get high scores in tests | B．make a student more popular |
| C．measure students’ ability | D．assist one to get a job |
More parents are looking to cellphones to help keep their children safe. But mom and dad should be careful: Kids who talk on a cellphone may be more likely to step into traffic. Children should learn to end phone conversations before they prepare to step into traffic.
While research shows that older kids and more experienced users also don’t navigate(穿行于) streets as well while on a cellphone, younger children tends to find the small tools more distracting(令人分心的).
“Kids of this age are just learning to cross the street on their own, ”says David-Schwebel, a co-author of the study. “They’re beginners. ”
Kids don’t need to be stopped from chatting on the phone when outside,
however. Instead, parents simply should instruct them to finish their conversations before crossing the street.
“I don’t think this means parents should take phones away from their kids, ”says Schwebel. “I encourage families to get cellphones for their children. They’re more helpful than harmful, if they’re used in a safe way. ”
Other distractions, such as conversations with friends, listening to music, and text messaging, may also cause problems for children in this age group. The researchers expect to study the effect of those types of distractions in the future.
Experts in child safety approved the cellphone study. “If you’re talking on a cellphone, you’re not paying much attention to the environment around you, ” says Susan Baker, a professor.
Brooke Carlson, a 44-year-old mom, has noticed how riveted her 9-year-old son is when he’s talking on the cellphone. Although she’d never thought of the dangers of crossing traffic while on the phone, Carlson says, “Now that I know about it, it makes total sense. ”She plans to have a chat with her child about cellphones and street safety.
For younger kids, parents might consider purchasing a phone with a plan that only allows the child to call up his or her parents. That way the cellphone can be used for emergencies, but not for chatting with friends for hours. In Schwebel’s opinion, _____ .
| A．kids are still too young to walk on the street alone |
| B．kids don’t know how to use cellphones appropriately |
| C．kids have little experience in crossing the street alone |
| D．kids are not experienced cellphone users |
Which of the following is Schwebel in favor of?
| A．Children shouldn’t be allowed to have a cellphone. |
| B．Children should be forbidden to chat on the phone when outside. |
| C．Cellphones do more harm to children than other distractions. |
D．Parents should teach kids about cellphones and street safety. |
The underlined word “riveted” may mean“_____”.
| A．confused | B．absorbed |
| C．dangerous | D．excited |
According to the passage, what does Mrs Carlson know?
| A．There are dangers of crossing streets while on the phone. |
| B．Her 9-year-old son is not interested in talking on the phone. |
C．Cellphones are more helpful than harmful to children . |
| D．Kids don’t pay attention to the environment when talking on the phone. |
The purpose of writing this passage is to _____.
| A．advise parents not to buy cellphones for children |
| B．introduce a phone that only allows kids to call up parents |
| C．expect kids not to talk on cellphones while on the street |
| D．expect people to use cellphones less in daily life |
It is natural that children are curious (好奇的) about the world around them. For example, they want to know how their hearts beat. They want to know why the ocean water tastes salty.
As children grow up, they become curious about different kinds of things. When they are babies, they are interested in the parts of their bodies and in the smiles of their mothers. They become interested in the physical world around them: the plants, the animals, the sky. Later, they become interested in the things that people have made: wheels, bicycles, cars. And when they are adults, their curiosity continues. Sometimes this curiosity leads to a career (生涯、职业) in science.
Scientists spend their lives trying to find out about the world. Those who work with the earth sciences study the earth, the oceans, and the skies. Other scientists who study living things work with the biological sciences. A third group of scientists study the physical sciences, e. g. physics, chemistry .
These scientists have already discovered a lot about our world. For example, they tell us why your heart beats fast when you run. They say that when you are quiet, your heart normally beats sixty-five or seventy-five times a minute. Your heart is a pump (泵) that pumps blood to all parts of the body. The blood carries oxygen and nutrition. When you run, your muscles work very hard and use the nutrition that the blood carries to them. The muscles need oxygen, too . So your brain sends a signal to the heart. The signal means that the muscles need more nutrition and oxygen. Then the heart beats fast and sends blood quickly to the muscles. It may beat 90 to 140 times a minute.
Of course, scientists cannot answ
er all of our questions. If we ask, “Why does the ocean water taste salty” scientists will say that the salt comes from rocks. When a rock gets very hot or very cold, it cracks. Rain falls into cracks. The rain then carries the salt into the earth and into the rivers. The rivers carry the salt into the ocean. But then we ask , “What happens to the salt in the ocean? The ocean does not get saltier every year.” Scientists are not sure about the answer to this question.
We know a lot about our world, but there are still many answers that we do not have, and we are curious.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
| A．People are curious in the same way. |
| B．People in different countries are interested in different things. |
| C．Men and women are curious about different things. |
| D．People of different ages are interested in different things |
Scientists who work with the biological sciences study____.
| A．the earth , the oceans and the sky | B．man-made things |
| C．plants and animals | D．ocean water |
When you run, your muscles need ____.
| A．more nutrition and oxygen | B．more signals |
| C．more salt | D．water |
A rock cracks _____.
| A．in wet regions | B．in dry regions |
| C．at very high or very low temperatures | D．when salty water falls in |
People are always curious because ____.
| A．they cannot explain many things | B．they know nothing about the world |
| C．they know little about the world | D．they want to be scientists |
Tea drinking was common in China for nearly one thousand years before anyone in Europe had ever heard about tea．People in Britain were much slower in finding out what tea was like, mainly because tea was very expensive. It could not be bought in shops and even those people who could afford to have it sent from Holland did so only because it was a fashionable curiosity. Some of them were not sure how to use it. They thought it was a vegetable and tried cooking the leaves. Then they served them mixed with butter and salt. They soon discovered their mistake but many people used to spread the used tea leaves on bread and give them to their children as sandwiches.
Tea remained scarce and very expensive in England until the ships of the East India Company began to bring it direct from China early in the seventeenth century. During the next few years so much tea came into the country that the price fell and many people could afford to buy it.
At the same time people on the Continent were becoming more and more fond of tea．Until then tea had been drunk without milk in it, but one day a famous French lady named Madame de Sevigne decided to see what tea tasted like when milk was added．She found it so pleasant that she would never again drink it without milk. Because she was such a great lady her friends thought they must copy everything she did, so they also drank their tea with milk in it. Slowly this habit spread until it reached England and today only very few Britons drink tea without milk.
At first, tea was usually drunk after dinner in the evening. No one ever thought of drinking tea in the afternoon until a duchess (公爵夫人) found that a cup of tea and a pie
ce of cake at three or four o’clock stopped her getting “a sinking feeling” as she called it. She invited her friends to have this new meal with her and so, tea-time was born.Which of the following is true of the introduction of tea into Britain?
| A．The Britons got expensive tea from India. |
| B．Tea reached Britain from Holland. |
C．The Bri tons were the first people in Europe who drank tea. |
| D．It was not until the 17th century that the Britons had tea. |
This passage mainly discusses_____________.
| A．the history of tea drinking in Britain |
B．how tea became a popular drink in Br itain |
| C．how the Britons got the habit of drinking tea |
| D．how tea-time was born |
Tea became a popular drink in Britain.
| A．in eighteenth century | B．in sixteenth century |
| C．in seventeenth century | D．in the late seventeenth century |
People in Europe began to drink tea with milk because.
A．it tasted like milk
B．it tasted more pleasant
C．it became a popular drink
D．people tried to copy the way Madame de Servinge drank tea
60．We may infer from the passage that the habit of drinking tea in Britain mostly resulted from the influence of ________.
A．a famous French lady B．the ancient Chinese
C．the upper social class D．people in Holland
Everyone has got two personalities—the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don’t show your secret personality when you are awake because you can control your behavior, but when you are asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their positions. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.
If you go to sleep on your back, you’re a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don’t like to displease people. So you never express your real feelings. You’re quite shy and you aren’t quite sure of yourself.
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive person. You worry a lot and you’re always easily upset. You always stick to your own opinions or judgment, but you don’t raise your hope too much. You usually live for today not tomorrow. This means that you enjoy having a good time.
If you sleep curled up, you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you’re often defensive. You’re shy and you don’t normally like meeting people. You prefer to on your own. You’re easily hurt.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well—balanced personality. You know your strengths and weakness. You’re usually careful. You believe in yourself. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don’t often get sad. You always say what you think even if it makes people rather angry.According to the passage, a person, who is not willing to change his mind and hard to deal with, probably sleeps ___.
| A．on his side | B．on his back | C．curled up | D．on his stomach |
If a person prefers to sleep curled up rather than on his back, he may be well content to ____.
| A．do things personally. | B．stay alone | C．keep things secret | D．trust others easily |
Which of the following people, in the author’s opinion, most likely have personalities opposite to each other ?
| A．The people sleeping on their stomach and those sleeping on his backs. |
| B．The people sleeping on their sides and those sleeping curled up. |
| C．The people sleeping on their backs and those sleeping on their sides. |
| D．The people sleeping curled up and those sleeping on their stomach. |
What the author mainly intends to tell us is that _______.
| A．one’s sleeping position has something to do with （与……联系）one’s character. |
| B．everyone has got both real and secret personalities. |
| C．the position in which one goes to sleep is the most important one. |
| D．when awake, one does not show one’s secret personality. |
There are three branches of medicine. One is called “doctor medicine” or “scientific medicine”. Scientific doctors try to observe sickness, look for logical pattern, and then find out how the human body works. From there they figure out what treatments may work. This kind of medicine is believed to date from the 4th century BC. Although nowadays it is successful, in the ancient this approach(方法) probably did not cure many patients.
The second kind of medicine is called “natural cures” or “folk medicine”, in which less educated people try to cure sickness with various herbs. These folk healers also use observation and logic, but they are not so aware of it. They try things until they find something that seems to work, and then they keep doing that. Folk medicine flourished(兴起) long before the development of scientific medicine and was more successful in ancient times.
The third kind is called “health spas（水疗）” or “faith healing”. Sometimes this may be as simple as touching the holy man and being immediately healed. Other times, a magician may make you a magic charm, or say a spell(咒语), to cure you. Some religious groups organize healing shrines(圣坛) for the sick. In these places people rest, get plenty of sleep, eat healthy food, drink water instead of wine, and exercise in various ways. They also talk to the priests(牧师) and pray to the gods. If you are feeling depressed or you have been working too hard, going to these places may be just the right thing to make you feel better.Doctor medicine _________.
| A．Magic power | B．Various herbs | C．Religious faith | D．A healthy life style |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?